Many gun owners are hidden criminals.

[russ1943]

67. Not exactly

U Posted "The single-biggest problem group of people with firearms are criminals. It is well-known from studies of criminology that most people who commit murder, with a firearm or otherwise, almost universally have a long prior criminal history - a history that would prohibit them from buying a gun".


Felony conviction is different from an arrest, and a “criminal record” is an almost meaningless term.

Among the gun enthusiasts variety of oft repeated mantras is the exceptionally high percentage of murderers who they state have the kind of criminal backgrounds that would prohibit them from legally purchasing or owning firearms.
This board has had posts claiming that murderers have prior felony convictions at rates as high as 90%, but almost always stating a majority of murderers would be prohibited because of their criminal background.
That’s true only if you believe………. Don Kates

I’ve occasionally posted and have received responses to my queries that they primarily are quoting Don Kates from a variety of sources.
http://www.guncite.com/gun_control_gcgvmurd.html

The guncite site still displays the following;

Excerpted from, Kates, Don B., et. al, Guns and Public Health: Epidemic of Violence or Pandemic of Propaganda? Originally published as 61 Tenn. L. Rev. 513-596 (1994):
"Looking only to official criminal records, data over the past thirty years consistently show that the mythology of murderers as ordinary citizens does not hold true. Studies have found that approximately 75% of murderers have adult criminal records, and that murderers average a prior adult criminal career of six years, including four major adult felony arrests. An article by Don Kates in the Firearms, Inc. segment of the Cardozo Law Review.
That number 14 is a footnote number referencing a book co-authored by (guess who?) Don Kates! The book “ARMED” (2001) does, on page 20 contain the sentence; “ Looking only to prior crime records, roughly 90% of adult murderers had adult records, with an average adult criminal career of six or more years, including four major adult felony arrests.” That sentence on page 20 however, is not footnoted in the book, and we cannot see any source except,…………….. Don Kates says so. http://www.amazon.com/Armed-New-Perspectives-Gun-Contro...

Note the words/terms ARRESTS, CRIMINAL RECORD, CRIME RECORD, CRIMINAL CAREER, CRIMINAL HISTORIES, FELONY ARRESTS. Words used and cleverly mixed in with felony convictions to imply that most murderers are ineligible to legally purchase or own firearms.
You can have/be any of those and not be disqualified from legally purchasing or owning a firearm.

So, is there any other source that could be helpful?

Since 1988 the Bureau of Justice Statistics has sponsored a biennial collection (Bulletins) of data on felony cases processed in state courts in the nation’s 75 largest counties This periodic report has been published biennially since 1990. SCPS collects data on the demographic characteristics, criminal history, pretrial processing, adjudication, and sentencing of felony defendants.
Criminal history of murderers is the point under discussion.

Murder defendants specifically;
42% of murder defendants had a prior felony conviction in the BOJ 2006 Bulletin 44% of murder defendants had a prior felony conviction in the BOJ 2004 Bulletin
42% of murder defendants had a prior felony conviction in the BOJ 2002 Bulletin
34% of murder defendants had a prior felony conviction in the BOJ 2000 Bulletin

Criminal records, arrests even non felony convictions are terms used and cleverly mixed in with felony convictions and employed to imply that most murderers are ineligible to legally purchase or own firearms. From these reports, since the percentage of murder defendants in the four most recent reports who have a prior felony conviction is less than 50% then it can be said that the majority do NOT have the FELONY CONVICTION which would disqualify them.


http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbse&sid=27